This was a huge success and we congratulate all the
winners and the organisers. We love being there and seeing who has been invited,
because that inevitably means that they have won something good; a Gold Medal
or a Trophy. There were some very new faces there this year and there were some
very familiar faces. KWV deservedly took the prestigious Fairbairn Capital
trophy for the most successful producer overall, Adam Mason and Mulderbosch
took the trophy for the best White wine overall and the Miele Trophy for the
best Chardonnay, plus the International Judges’ Trophy. The Trophy for the best
red wine overall and the Trophy for the best Shiraz, rather surprisingly, went
to Mount Sutherland Super Single Vineyard Syrah 2010. Daniël de Waal grows this
on the slopes of the high Sneeuwberg montains, in conditions more European than
African. Another trophy went to a winery which, honestly, not many people at
the awards had heard of: The trophy for the Discovery of the show went to
Baleia Bay Chardonnay 2013, near St Sebastian Bay and made by Jan-Hendrick
Joubert – we can’t wait to taste these wines. Click here for the full list of Gold Medal and Trophy winners.
The venue was the Planet restaurant at the Mount Nelson, eminently suitable
for such a large host and they ably and professionally took care of us all. We
had a lovely lunch and got to enjoy some of the wines entered in the completion
with our meal.
If you want
to taste some of them you can attend the Old Mutual Public tastings in Cape
Town at CTICC on 6th June and in Sandton Johannesburg on Thurs 12th June. Book
at Computicket
Assembling in
the lounge before the awards and looking to see which wine makers have been
invited to receive awards
Executive Chef Rudi Liebenberg came up trumps – these lovely canapés are on the seed biscuit bases in the
Banting diet. And the small beef rolls also have no carbohydrates. They both
tasted really good.
And yes, some
of us did eat just the smoked salmon off the bread base and avoided the tiny
vol au vents.
A lovely
selection to go with a welcoming glass of bubbly
Alan Cawdry of sponsor
American Express gives a gallant welcome to Sarah Papenfus of WoSA
A winning
table: Etienne Louw of Altydgedacht, Elona Hesseling of WineLand, Kobus van der Merwe of Laborie, Annemi Nel of De Krans, Jan Laubscher, and Izele van
Blerk of KWV
Dr Winnie
Bowman MW at our table with Lynne, in deep discussion with Gottfried Mocke of Chamonix. The Planet
restaurant comfortably seated everyone
Samarie Smith of Die Burger and Winemaker Miles Mossop, who won a Gold Medal for his own wine, Kika, a
natural Sweet Chenin Blanc
Convenor and
Show Chairman Michael Fridjhon announcing the awards
Mokaedi Dilotsotlhe, General Marketing Manager of
Old Mutual talking about the awards and their sponsorship
Gottfried
Mocke, winemaker at Chamonix wines, at our table, won the best Museum Class Chardonnay Trophy
for his Reserve Chardonnay 2008
Old Mutual Trophy Judge JD
Pretorius of Steenberg collected the Grand Roche Trophy for the best White
Blend for Steenberg’s Magna Carta Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2011. Judges' scores
of their own wines are not counted. All wines are tasted blind.
Reg Holder of
Delheim collected the Trophy for the best Noble Late Harvest for Delheim’s
Edelspatz NLH 2013
The menu had several choices
The starter of fresh Tuna Carpaccio with Babaganoush quenelles and avocado was substantial, meaty and very satisfying. We had this with the Stellenrust Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc, a classic full on Chenin, which went very well with the tuna. It scored 85 for a Silver medal
David Sonnenberg of Diemersfontein and Alan Mullins collecting the Award for Diemersfontein Woolworths Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2011
The first award for KWV; there would be several others. Receiving it was winemaker Izele van Blerk
Miles Mossop getting his Gold award for Kika
Razvan Macici accepting the gold award for the Nederburg Private Bin D234 Sauvignon Blanc 2011, made by Tariro Masayiti, now at Springfontein near Stanford
David Sonnenberg of Diemersfontein wines, who won a gold medal for the Woolworths Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2011 with Gail Alswang, celebrating with a glass of something fine..
The main course of beautifully, oh so tender and flavourful, beef topped with a spicy empanada and lots of vegetable. The mushroom crust was a little indigestible, being more a bread stuffing than a crust
One of the superb organisers of these shows, Alex Mason-Gordon, deservedly taking a break with John Skotnes (crafter of the trophies) who looks very relaxed
RJ Botha of Kleine Zalze looking happy about the Gold Medal for their Family Reserve Chenin Blanc 2013
and Razvan accepts another award to Nederburg who won the Best Natural Sweet Dessert Wine Trophy for the Eminence Noble Late Harvest Muscadel 2011. We had some of this super wine with dessert and it is epic. Full of honey and sunshine, flowers and good fruit acids to balance the high sugars.
Miles Mossop awarding the Tony Mossop Trophy to Annemi Nel of De Krans for the best Cape Port
André van Rensburg accepting the Trophy for the best museum class white blend for the Vergelegen ‘White’ 2009
Alex Mason-Gordon organising the awarding of the trophies
Winners all. Gottfried Mocke of Chamonix, Brad Paton of Buitenverwachting who won a gold for Christine 2009, and JD Pretorius of Steenberg
Another Trophy for KWV being accepted by KWV winemaker Izele van Blerk and Laborie winemaker Kobus van der Merwe
The three Trophy winners who were at our small table. Young, illustrious and very good company
Dessert was a Pear frangipane with praline ice cream and an amaretto anglaise topped with a langue de chat biscuit. It went perfectly with the Nederburg NLH, but what wouldn't?
Nederburg also won the Riedel Trophy for the best Bordeaux style red blend with The Brewmaster 2010. Outsorceress Janice Fridjhon celebrates with Razvan Macici
One huge surprise was the Trophy for the Best Sparkling Wine going to The Table Bay MCC Non Vintage Blanc de Blanc, sourced by Mark Norrish for Ultra Liquors from a mystery farm in Robertson. He will not reveal its source.
Alan Mullins CWM, very proud that three wines he had selected for Woolworths Reserve range received Gold medals: Radford Dale Syrah 2012; Spier The Hutton Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 and Diemersfontein Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2011
The obligatory group shot of all the Trophy and Gold Medal winners
That is quite a cache of trophies!
Kobus van der Merwe returning to KWV to show everyone the awards they earned. Apparently there was quite a celebration
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